Catching Up

So, as usual, it has been an extremely long time since I've had an opportunity to update the blog.  Holly has been growing in leaps and bounds since the last post nearly six-seven months ago.  She is babbling every day and beginning to string together words that she knows into very short sentences.  She's also using a combination of words, a little sign language and monkey grunts to get her point across.  Usually the monkey grunts come when she wants something.  Then it's "Uh uh uh!" accompanied with a hand wiggle that states very clearly, "Gimme!"

She now has one of her second year molars in and has been literally shoving her whole hand in her mouth and drooling and chomping like crazy as she works on the other three.  It's been a happy kind of misery for her.  She doesn't complain too much, but watch out when she gets frustrated because she'll likely bite you.  Fingers are crossed that this stage progresses quickly and she graduates from the biting phase.

Her appetite has not diminished in the slightest.  She still eats like a horse and can put away an adult-sized meal easily.  She loves food and if you mention "food" she'll be on you like a starving fat cat to her food bowl at 5:30 in the morning (yes, that's a fairly accurate description of our very own Bailey).  Speaking of, Pat's nickname for Bailey is "Booty."  Holly will quite clearly call out for Booty and will chase her relentlessly around the house.  I'm surprised the poor cat still has any sanity left.  Dallas, on the other hand, is wise to the ways of the toddler and removes herself accordingly from threatening situations.

We have started Holly in a music class at school and she's been enjoying that class for the past few months.  She loves the music and interaction with the teachers and her friends and she's always excited to be a part of the action.  I hear such rave reviews from her teachers and it makes me smile to see how much she's enjoying her class.  I'm currently hunting for an age-appropriate swim class to sign her up for.  We took her in the complex's pool for the first time (this season) last night and although we were only there for about 20 minutes and the water was chilly and her teeth were chattering like crazy, she did not want to get out!  She had such huge smiles and laughter was ringing from fence post to fence post during our whole stay.  She is our little water baby and wants very much to be in the water kicking and splashing and having a great time!

Seasons Greetings!

 We took Holly for her holiday photos on Black Friday and we were there on time for a 10:15 appointment.  We ended up waiting an hour before we had our turn.  There was only one couple ahead of us with their child and the photographer had arrived ten minutes late.  So that put us at an hour behind schedule?  Yikes!  I love Olan Mills' work, but I'm not entirely certain I want to return if they're going to do that again.  I was extremely irritated about the wait, although I had to commend the photographer for her professionalism and how well she worked with Holly.  Plus, Holly spent the time waiting happily in the aisles, touching clothes, banging on advertisements and making other shoppers smile and laugh at her antics.  I'm delighted to have such a happy, wonderful little girl!  I have to admit that I am also very satisfied with how the session turned out (once we got in there) and the photos were definitely well worth the wait!  We walked away with a good deal and every photo on a CD to take home that day.  You can't beat that!

In other news, Holly continues to grow in language development.  She is beginning to say "Thank you" and is continuing to say "Don't!"  She even manages to say them at about the appropriate times.  "Don't" has been used when she doesn't want us to do something or when she knows that she's not supposed to do something, soooo ... I guess it works out!

I can't guarantee that I'll update this again before 2013, but who knows?  I am, however, pretty darn certain that it's going to be an incredibly busy month in December and my free time is limited.  So!  From our family to yours - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love Her!

I really don't have anything new to report, other than the fact that I should update this or my uncle will have a conniption because I didn't.  Again.  For months on end.  He's like that, but I love him anyway!  ;)

Holly is continuing to do grow and change every day and I find myself looking back at her newborn photos and seeing just how much she has changed over the past 14 months.  It's incredible and I'm so blessed to get to experience it.

She's walking like a pro now and she's getting faster and faster.  I know she'll be running soon and then I'll be in all sorts of trouble!  She's a mischievous little monkey and curious about everything.  She's just tall enough now to peek over tables and see what's there and try to reach for what looks attractive (basically everything).  Once she's satisfied one curiosity, she's onto something else and explores anything and everything!  She's also starting to get the hang of coming down the steps backwards, although she still prefers to have someone carry her down.  Going up by herself is fun, but make her work to get down the stairs?  No thank you!

Holly also loves to talk.  Most of what she says is gibberish, but every once in awhile you'll hear a word that sounds semi familiar.  Grammy has said on any number of occasions that once Holly starts to really talk, she'll never shut up.  I believe her!  I look forward to hearing what my daughter has to say, though, and recording it for her to read when she's older and laugh.  :)

For now, it's peaceful and calming to lay her in bed writing this as I listen to her lullabies playing over the baby monitor and knowing that she's safe, healthy and content.  She never fails to make me smile and I love that.

P is for Pumpkin (and photos)!

 I was being "reprimanded" today for not having posted more to the blog during the summer.  I would like to think that I will eventually be forgiven for leading an extremely busy life as a working mother.  Right?  Yeah, we'll see.

Last weekend Pat and I took Holly to the farm to see all the pumpkins and pick her up a couple.  She had a wonderful time and we came home with two pumpkins for Pat and I are a very special little one (that she's holding there in the photo) for her!

We couldn't have asked for better weather.  Last weekend it was cool and very brisk and we enjoyed it immensely!  This weekend we had more of an Indian Summer, but still acceptable in our book.  We are definitely looking forward to having a true fall and not skipping over the season.  Last spring was just insane.  I don't know when Mother Nature decided that skipping a season was okay, but I would rather it not happen again any time soon.

This weekend Holly and I traveled back to W-town to see Pat and Grandma N and Poppa J and the kitties.  We're currently house shopping in the new town, so for the time being, Pat and I are living apart during the week and visiting on the weekends.  It's not easy, but we're making it work and we are day dreaming about being a complete family again (hopefully by Christmas)!

When Holly and I returned home, we went over to my aunt and uncle's with her boys for a mini photo shoot.  P and B are excellent with her and Holly couldn't ask for better cousins.  As my aunt said, those boys are incredibly cooperative and good with her!

Holly's now taking between five and ten steps and she's getting more and more brave every day.  She still crawls like a bandit, but I see that transitioning into a running fiend by Halloween.  She's growing so fast and watching her develop is incredible.  I remember this time last year how small she was and it's almost hard to comprehend how much she's grown since then.  I was reminded of that over the weekend as I held my brand new nephew.  He was born last Wednesday at 9 pounds, 22-1/2 inches (two pounds less than Holly's birth weight and three inches longer) and he just seemed so small when I held him!  What's incredible is that you wouldn't expect 9 pounds to be small, but it's fairly average in our family and compared to Holly's 22 pounds, my new nephew's a peanut!
 
Not much more to add, but there are plenty of pictures to look at, so enjoy!

Happy Uncle J?  ;-)

Long Overdue

So I realize with a jolt of guilt and perhaps some shame that I have not updated this blog since JUNE!  Yikes!  Time has truly gotten away with me and I really have no other excuse.  I apologize for not updating sooner, but I can assure you that this will happen again.  Many times and on multiple occasions.  It's a drawback to being a parent and being involved.

So, lets see.  July, August, and September has seen quite a bit of growth and forward momentum!  She now has twelve teeth, a full year under her belt, and still loves food.  A lot.  She is most definitely a healthy eater!  There is very little that she will turn away.  She tried pickles for me one day and liked it, but then was sick later that evening.  Ever since she has refused pickles.  She's starting to refuse cheese, which I blame her father for, but I love them both anyway.  She'll still eat pizza, mac and cheese and au gratin potatoes though.  Not a total loss!  She's gone from crawling to standing, to walking with support around furniture, people and toys.

Her first birthday party was a giant success celebrated with friends and family.  She totally had a blast with the cupcakes (definitely belongs to our family, considering the sweet tooth that she has) at the party and then again cake the following weekend on her actual birthday.  I say she has a sweet tooth, but I should also add that this child puts down cooked carrots like a champ and then demands more.  I hope that she can eat enough carrots to keep away the glasses fairy!  I would hate for her to succumb to the family curse of near and far-sightedness, but if it's in the blood, she'll just have to suffer right along with the rest of us.

Holly's vocabulary is growing, although she hasn't put it to the verbal test yet.  When you talk to her, you can see how much she understands.  It won't be long before my little pumpkin will be jabbering along with the rest of the family.  :)  She'll put in her two cents ... only as long as it's politically correct and it won't get us kicked out of her grandparents' house!

Our newest bit of news that is extremely exciting for us is that Holly has finally taken her first steps this week!  She has shown off for both Grammy and Pah, her Aunt H, mommy and daddy and a couple of her teachers at school.  She hasn't taken more than one or two steps, but it's just the beginning.  I suspect that by the time Halloween rolls around, she'll be a little more sure on her feet!

In addition to everything else going on, Holly's also started at a new school towards the end of September and has transitioned very nicely.  She is sleeping well, continuing to eat well, and plays well with her friends.  Not only that, but one of her classmates is a second cousin and you can't beat having family in school with you!  They'll get to have a Halloween parade this month and I look forward to having her dressed up as a pumpkin and wearing a costume that her cousins P, B and E wore when they were that age!

Swimming? Yes, please!

 We had an exciting and busy day today!  Pat and I started off with taking Holly out to get a few pictures taken (just because she's cute, y'know) and when we put her back in the car to find another good spot for photos, she sacked out.  That was around 10:00 (I would like to point out that this amazing child slept from 7:30 last night to 7:30 this morning - woo hoo!).  So we drove around for a bit, enjoying the beautiful day and looking for another good photo spot.  Didn't really pay too much attention to the surrounding scenery, so we didn't find a good photo spot, but we did happen to swing by Toys'R'Us and pick up a lap pool for our water baby.  After that, we headed down to City Park for the Multicultural Festival that was currently going on.  At this point it was 11:00 and Holly was waking up, so it was good timing.  We strolled around and browsed the merchandise, listened to the music and ate chicken-on-a-stick for lunch.  Holly really enjoyed that.

Afterwards, we packed her back up and headed on home.  We were barely in the car when she had fallen asleep again, so she put in about a half hour between City Park and home.  Woke up at home, got her changed into her swim suit and filled up her pool for some fun in the sun!  She loved it!  As you can see in the pictures, she loves her rubber duckies.  The little blue and yellow ones were squirters and every time they were filled with water and she put it in her mouth and chomped down, water would squirt out the side.  She was slightly confused, but continued to happily chow down.

Her newest accomplishment is pulling herself up on things (mostly myself or Pat) and standing.  She also gets up onto hands and feet like a bear crawl.  She is so desperate to get up and walk, but she's just not quite there yet.  We both predict that she'll be taking steps by the end of July.

 

Poor Bailey

I call this series "Poor Bailey" because "poor Bailey" keeps getting chased after by a devilish little munchkin who would love nothing more than to play with her kitty-kitty!

Oh boy, table food!

 Holly is most definitely our growing little girl.  She's eating more and more table food (or what we've termed "big people" food).  A couple of nights ago she had about 1/4 cup of scrambled eggs, 3/4 of a slice of bread and a 1/4 of a banana.  Last night she ate almost a whole filet of tilapia, maybe an 1/8 cup of peas and 3/4 slice of bread.  She's definitely a bread girl, because she was eating bits of my hot dog bun tonight.

In addition to eating "big people" food, she's drinking out of a regular cup (we're foregoing sippy cups) fairly well.  She'll still get her bib or the front of her shirt wet when she lets it dribble down her chin or if she spits it out, but she's practicing at each meal with us and she's doing beautifully!  Pat and I are so grateful for this little munchkin because she has yet to reject any food we've offered her (did I mention she's also tried bacon?) with the exception of corn.  She didn't reject the corn when we fed it to her, but it did give her some uncomfortable gas when she was four months old.  We're waiting a little longer before we try again, to give her body more time to adjust.

And, of course, it's not dinner without a show.  If you listen carefully, you might be able to hear Pat towards the end of the video commenting on his performance (or the result of it).